I shook her hand slightly. “One thing at time mom. She’s in Bismarck, and no, we’re not getting married. And no, she’s not moving here. She has her own business.”
“Oh, an independent woman. I like that. So, you’ll be moving back to Bismarck?” Her voice was strong but I could hear the disappointment.
I let out a breath. “I don’t know what’s going to happen mom. The thing is, we’re not a couple. We never were. Not really?”
Her brows furrowed. “What?”
I swallowed. “We were friends and on occasion we…you know…” Fuck was I really talking to my mother about sex?
“I see. Well, it’s still your child. Is she saying otherwise or trying to keep it from you?”
“She says it's mine, but she didn’t tell me. I heard about it from Jude. That’s why I left abruptly last night. I had to see her to find out what was going on.”
My mother looked horrified. “She wasn’t going to tell you. What sort of woman is this? Why would you even be with a woman who’d do that?”
I laughed derisively. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed mom, but I’m not a good judge of women. Lora is proof of that.”
“Lora is a good per
son who lost her way a bit.” My mom’s eyes rounded. “Oh goodness, what is she going to say when she learns about the baby? Oh Cy, she might not like that.” Now she was disappointed, proof that she was putting a lot of stock in a future between me and Lora. I realized I should have been more insistent that I wasn’t going to be with Lora.
“That’s not my worry mom. And by the way, you shouldn’t be telling people that Lora is my fiancé.”
“I didn’t—” She stopped short. “I don’t think I did. Who would I have said that to?”
“Petal says she called her to tell me about the baby and you answered the phone telling her I was out with my fiancé.”
“Petal? That’s her name. Is she British? That’s such an English name.”
“She’s not from there, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Maybe her parents?”
“I don’t know.” I had a flash of guilt over that. I really didn’t know a lot about Petal’s family except they’d moved to Florida to escape the brutal North Dakota winters. “Mom. The point is, Lora and I aren’t getting back together. I know you want it. She says she wants it but it's not happening.”
“Well, not if you’re in love with Petal, it won’t. If you’d just told me you loved someone else, I wouldn’t have pushed you and Lora.”
“I’m not in love with her.” My stomach churned like acid was burning a hole it. “And you shouldn’t be pushing anyone on me.”
“You’re not going to marry her?”
Hadn’t I answered that already? My mother wasn’t ever a traditionalist. Afterall, she’d never married my father, whoever he was. But she sure was insistent on me getting married all of a sudden.
“No. But I’m going to be in that child’s life mom. And you are too. I’ll make sure of it. I have a list of attorneys to call.”
She brought my hand to her lips and gave it a kiss. “I’d still like to meet her. There must be something about her that appealed to you. Is she like Lora? Gorgeous?”
I sighed. “She’s…like the sun, mom.”
My mom’s face scrunched up into intrigue. “That’s quite a statement.”
“She’s bright and lovely and sweet…at least…she was.”
“Are you sure you’re not in love with her?”
I swallowed because I couldn’t deny it a second time, which was unsettling. “When you’re well, I’ll see if I can arrange for her to come visit you.”
“If she has her own business, can she take the time?”